2025 Wyoming Roadtrip - Day #5 - Jenny Lake Loop Trail

The Larkins picked us up at the Snow King Resort at 8:15 am. We headed to the grocery store at Dornans. We bought sandwiches for lunch at the Deli.

From there, we headed to the Jenny Lake Visitors Center. The plan for the day was to hike the Jenny Lake Loop Trail. We were on the trail before 9:30 am heading counter clockwise. It was very peaceful for the first hour and a half.

As we got closer to the String Lake trailhead, we started to see more and more people. There were a lot of people on the trail on the west side of lake. When we got to the boat dock on the southwest corner of the lake, the area was a litte overrun with people. People were taking the boat across the lake and then hiking to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point.

We stopped and had lunch about half a mile beyond the boat dock.

I was surprised at the number of people going the other way as we hiked the last two miles around to the Visitor Center. A lot of people seemed inappropriately dressed and didn't seem to be carrying much water.

When we got back to the Visitor Center, we grabbed a couple of beers at the grocery store near the visitor center. We relaxed on a bench outside the store.

In total, we hiked more than eight miles in about four hours and forty-five minutes. It was almost 4 pm by the time the Larkins dropped us off back at the Snow King.


When we got back to the room, it hadn't been cleaned. Sharon harrangued them and someone showed up shortly to clean the room and change the towels.

Sharon and I finished the night with dinner at the Blue Lion. It was a big disappointment. For a starter, we split GNUDI [Housemade ricotta pillows, Parmigiano Reggiano, sage, balsamic, hazelnuts, brown butter]. For entrees, Sharon had TROUT EN PAPILLOTE [Idaho Trout, Sweet Peppers, Fennel and Orange Salad, White Wine], while I had ELK BOLOGNESE [Cavatelli Pasta, San Marzano Tomatoes, Ground Elk, Olive Oil, Parmesan].

Sharon's trout was not good. I ended up giving her most of my bolognese and eating the trout. To top it off, the service was very bad.

We were told during our Yellowstohe tour the next day that the restaurant had recently changed hands and had gone downhill. I don't recommend it...

With an early start planned for Monday, we crashed before 10 pm.

2025 Bremerton - Day #2

Tuesday morning, Wallen, Snipes and I hiked at the Illahee Preserve Heritage Park. Wallen and Vic are involved in maintaining the park. Wallen and I covered about three miles in an hour and twenty-three minutes. Snipes dropped off after two miles and headed back to the car.


After the hike, we headed to Poulsbo. Jill, John, Sharon and I explored the city when we visited them in 2'17. Snipes, Wallen and I had a late breakfast at the Green Light Diner. I had Huevos Rancheros.

Wandering the old town, we ended up at Tizleys for a beer. Wallen and I had stopped there in '17. From there, we headed back to the Wallen's house for some downtime.

In the early afternoon, Wallen, Jill, Snipes and I went to the Central Kitsap versus White River High Baseball Playoff game. Wallen's son Nate is an assistant coach for the team. Central Kitsap rallied to win the game by the score of 4 to 2.

After game, the four of us plus Nate's family went to the Silver City Restaurant and Ale House for dinner. I had the BBQ Chicken Salad.

Wallen, Snipes and I finished the day watching the Thunder beat the Nuggets in the NBA playoffs. We crashed about 10 pm.

White Owl Canyon Hike

At Drew and Carmen's

Spending the night at Drew and Carmen's house, we had a leisurely breakfast of scrambled eggs and pastries. After breakfast, we headed to Redwood Regional Park. Sharon and I have hiked this park twice in the past [January 2019 and May 2015.].


Carmen, Drew, Sharon and I ended up hiking 5.6 miles in just under three hours. The route included over a 1,000 feet of elevation gain! Sharon and I hadn't hiked the Madrone Trail or the switchbacks up the Chrown Trail before. It was a nice work out.

We stopped and got some Vietnamese Sandwiches for lunch at kibi's cafe in Orinda. After lunch, we explored their property.

While Carmen and Sharon went into Orinda to do some shopping, Drew and I watched the end of the Florida versus Texas Tech NCAA basketball game. Florida was down by nine points and came roaring back to win. We watched the first half of the Duke versus Alabama game. I was surprised that the game wasn't closer... I was interested in seeing Cooper Flagg play; he is projected as the first pick in the NBA draft.

Carmen made a nice dinner of pulled pork shoulder sandwiches, corn on the cob and coleslaw. We finished the night playing seven rounds of Mexican Train. Sharon was the big winner. We crashed after 10:30 pm.

Cronan Ranch

On Saturday, Sharon and I went to Cronan Ranch. We have hiked here several times before [2024 with Larkins, 2021 with Larkins, and 2020 with Tiber].

We ended up hiking 6.3 miles in two hours and fifty-two minutes. The hike included over 900 feet of elevation gain. There were some great views of the American River and the Sierras. We stopped and had lunch along the West Ridge Trail.

To Carmel

Sharon and I rolled towards Carmel about 9:15 am. Heading down 5, Apple Maps switched the route to 205 to 680 to 101 to 156 as we were passing Stockon rather than over Pacheco Pass. I am always surprised how long it takes to get there. With two short stops, it took us four hours.

We had a late lunch at Porta Bella. We ate lunch there with Jim and Debbie on our road trip in February. We both had the Smoked Salmon with Pistachio Herb Goat Cheese Salad [mixed greens, asparagus, orange wedges, honey tarragon vinaigrette].

After lunch, we did a nice walk along the Carmel Beach around to the Carmel River Beach and then back to the car. In total, we covered three miles in an hour and ten minutes.



Back at the car, we headed to Pacific Grove to catch up with Holly and Van. The four of us are spending three nights at an Airbnb right on Lighthouse Avenue.

During lunch, I had texted Mark and Jeanie. We had dinner with them on our road trip in February. They are leaving for Norway and Sweden on Wednesday. We made plans to meet them for a cocktail at Fandango before dinner to share with them some of our experiences on the Viking Homelands Cruise.

Holly and Van wandered up to the restaurant after Mark and Jeanie left. The four of us had dinner. Sharon and I split Caesar Salad. I had PAELLA FANDANGO [Saffron rice, seafood, spicy sausages, chicken, peas, green onion, red & green bell pepper, cooked & served in a skillet]. Sharon had DOUBLE LAMB CHOPS [Two double chops, grilled with herbs].

We finished the night back at the Airbnb watching the Olympics.

2024 Sea Ranch - Day #6

After breakfast, Donna, Kevin, Sharon and I hiked north along the bluffs. We hiked as far north as Vista del Mar where Sharon and I stayed for our 20th Anniversary Dinner Party. Looping back, we stopped and had a leisurely lunch at the picnic tables near the Ohlson Rec Center. On the way back, I split off and explored the Sea Meadow Trail through Rock Meadow.

In total, we covered about 6.4 miles in two and a half hours of moving time. We probably sat for an hour at lunch...


We had a lazy afternoon back at Monette. I did a Peloton strength workout. We watched Clippers versus Mavs NBA basketball round one playoff game. The Mavs roared back from 31 points down, but fell short and lost by the score of 116 to 111. Sharon and Donna worked on a puzzle.

Eventually, we got cleaned up and drove to the Sea Ranch Lodge for dinner.

Kevin ordered a First of Bread + Castlevetrano Olives + Roasted Garlic & Balsamic Vinegar that we all shared. Donna had Carrot Ginger Fennel Soup and Grilled Focaccia.

For Middles, Kevin had Manila Clams [Green Garlic + White Wine + Tarragon]. I had a TSRL Farm Lettuces Salad [Seasoned Carrot & Pistachio + Herbed Yogurt + Lemon Vinaigrette + Feta + Dried Apricots]. Sharon had a Butter Lettuce salad [Sugar Snap Peas + Dill + Pecorino Romano + Tamari Roasted Seeds].

For Last, Sharon, Kevin and I all had the Ike Jime Local Halibut [Artichokes in Barigoule Broth + Spring Vegetables]. Donna had Housemade Wild Nettle Fettuccine [TSRL Oyster Mushrooms + Fiddlehead Ferns + Pesto of Nettles & Pine Nuts + Pecorino].

We finished the night playing Mexican Train. We played five rounds. In a fairly bizarre sequence, I won the last round and ended up winning the evening just barely over Sharon. It was after 11:30 pm by the time we crashed.

Magnolia Ranch Hike

Sharon and I met the Larkins at the Magnolia Ranch Trailhead. We hiked the River Trail and then the Connector Trail into Cronan Ranch. The four of us made a lunch stop where the Up & Down Trail connects with the Skyridge Trail. In total, we covered 6.4 miles in just over three hours.

2024 California Road Trip - Day #3 - Santa Cruz

Up and moving early, Sharon and I drove to Starbucks for breakfast; I had oatmeal for the second day in a row. Afterwards, I did a 10 minute Peloton core workout.

The plan for the day was hiking with Laura. With rain forecast for the afternoon, we started early. Laura took us to The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park. We hiked the Aptos Creek Fire Road to the Loma Prieta Grade Trail. We looped back to the Fire Road on the Mill Pond Trail. We ended up hiking just over five miles in two hours and ten minutes.

The three of us had a late lunch at Erik's DeliCafe. I had a Sea Dog [tuna salad with cheddar cheese, avocado, tomato, onions], while Sharon had a Baja Fiesta Salad [Grilled chicken breast over romaine, baja bean salad, cheddar, avocado, red bell pepper, tomato, with jalapeño r@nch dressing and tri-color tortilla strips].

After lunch, Laura gave us a quick tour of Capitola. We stopped at a viewpoint to watch the repair work on the damaged Capitola Wharf.

Sharon and I spent a lazy afternoon doing some additional planning for the trip. We were trying to figure out a winery stop between Carmel and Cambria. Unfortunately, it is Saturday of a three day weekend and many places don't have any available reservations...

Sharon and I finished the day celebrating Valentine's Day at Alderwood. The meal and the service was very good. The waiters name was Brian. Although it is early in the trip, this is the best meal of the trip. Sharon's superpower is finding great restaurants!

We split Parmesan Popovers [house-made finocchiona • mango jam • smoked butter]. For entrees, I had Grilled Scallops [mushroom fumet • portuguese kale • king trumpet • nori oil], while Sharon had Filet Mignon [beet jus • smoked carrots • shiitake • sweet potato puree • fennel].

For Valentine's Day gifts, Sharon got me a bottle of Harris Gin. I got her a Garmin golf watch, some golf markers and heart socks.

2024 California Road Trip - Day #1 - Sunnyvale

When Sharon retired in 2022, she talked about taking a road trip down the Central Coast of California. The trip never came together. Planning for 2024 over the last couple of months, we decided to reimagine her trip on a larger scale. We are taking off for two weeks to visit family and friends and explore a number of sites.

Rolling from Sacramento about 9:40 am, we headed towards the South Bay. With a driver change in Alamo, we were at my sister LeeAnn's house in Sunnyvale about 12:10 pm. After a short visit with Dean, Sharon, LeeAnn and I went to lunch at Thai Basil. I had Shrimp Pad Thai.

After lunch, Sharon and I checked into the Courtyard Marriot Sunnyvale Mountain. We are spending one night here.

Using Alltrails to look for an afternoon hike, I settled on a hike from McCellan Ranch Perserve along Stevens Creek. Sharon and I ended up hiking 3.7 miles in almost an hour and thirty minutes. There was an interesting golf course at one end of the hike called Deep Cliff Golf Course. After the hike, Sharon and I stopped at the pro shop and picked up a scorecard.

We finished the day with dinner at Ettan in Palo Alto. We had eaten there when we came to Stacey's wedding in 2021. We split Sesame Leaf [Chaat Flavors on Sesame Leaves with Mango, Chickpea Crumble, Sesame Brittle and Cilantro], Ettan Salad [Mixed Greens, Avocado, Grapes, Pumpkin Seeds with our Signature Fermented Curry Leaf Chutney, Cauliflower [Cauliflower Leaf, Green Onions, Black Mustard and Curry Leaves] and curry with naan bread and rice. The food was very good.

Wandering back to the hotel, we crashed early...

American River Hike

Sharon and I hiked from Bannister Park to the Sunflower Drive-in in Old Fair Oaks and back. We covered 5.6 miles in about two hours and twelve minutes. We had nutburgers [nutmeat patty served on a whole wheat bun with sauce, onions, pickles, tomatoes, romaine, and sprouts] and chips and salsa for lunch.

Tilden Regional Park Hike plus dinner

After spending a second night housesitting for Drew and Carmen, our plan for the day was a hike. Using Alltrails, I picked out a loop in Tilden Regional Park. We ended up hiking more than 4.8 miles in just over two and a half hours.



We stopped lunch along the Seaview Trail with a view of the bay. We had hiked the Seaview Trail last year with Drew as an out and back.

We finished the day with dinner at Casa Orinda. This restaurant has been on this spot for almost 70 years; it is the oldest continuously operating restaurant in Contra Costa County. Sharon liked the restaurant more than I did.

We both had green salads. For entrees, I had rack of lamb, while Sharon had Veal Piccata. I was not impressed with the food...

Hiking Bidwell Park

After breakfast at the Residence Inn, Sharon and I headed to Bidwell Park. Parking at Hooker Oak Park, we did a short hike in Lower Bidwell Park. We covered 2.25 miles in just over fifty minutes.


Back at the hotel, Sharon got ready to go to Carmen's bridal shower, while I watched the first half of the 49er game. I dropped Sharon off at the bridal shower at 11:30 am and headed back to Hooker Oak Park.

I hiked into Upper Bidwell Park. I covered 7.2 miles in about two hours and fifteen miles. I made a tactical error. I probably should have parked further up near Horseshoe Lake and hiked from there. I ended up hiking only a mile and a half on the Yahi Trail; I would like to come back and hike just that trail with Sharon.

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I picked up Sharon at the bridal shower at 2:45 pm and started for home. We were back in Carmicheal about 4:40 pm.

Jenkinson Lake Loop plus Lunch and Dinner

An ambitious day...

Up and moving early, we drove to Sly Park. The plan for the morning was to hike a loop around Jenkinson Lake. We were hiking by about 8:40 am. With stops, it took us just under four hours to cover 8.8 miles. Alltrails said that our moving time was three hours and thirty-six minutes.

Hiking up the south shore, we stopped at a waterfall about mile three. The waterfall is a man-made waterfall created from a diversion tunnel on Camp Creek. It drops 33 feet into Sly Park Creek. Even though it is man-made, it is a pretty waterfall and drops into a nice pool.


I was surprised by the number of campgrounds and people on the northern shore during the second half of the hike. The last mile and a half was a little bit of a grind. We had to hike across two short dams along the road.



After the hike, we met Morgan, Daniel and Lee for a late lunch at Cascada in Plaerville. I had Basa Tacos. It is very nice to have them close by!

After getting cleaned up, we finished the day having dinner with the Maynards at Zinfandel Grille. Sharon and I spilt a BRUSCHETTA starter [Heirloom Tomatoes, Roasted Marinated Local Eggplant, Fresh Mozzarella, Smoked Sea Salt, Basil, Aged Balsamic]. For entrees, I had TORTELLINI FORMAGGIO [English Pea, Roasted Corn, Heirloom Cherry Tomato & Lemon Cream], while Sharon had PAPPARDELLE [Prawns, Bay Scallops, Saffron Lemongrass Broth, Savoy Spinach, Citrus Gremolata]. We brought a bottle of Donum 2020 Carneros Estate Pinot Noir to share.

American River Parkway Hike

Sunday morning, Sharon and I hiked along the American River Parkway from Hazel to Jim's Bridge and back. We covered 5.1 miles in just under two hours.

2023 England and Scotland - Day #7 - to Newburn

With both of us up early, I wandered down for cup of Americano coffee. I then went to the fitness center and did a twenty minute Peleton upper body workout. Trying to sort out the kilogram weights was interesting. Afterwards, Sharon and I did a five minute Peleton lower body stetch together in the room.

Sharon and I had breakfast at the hotel. As part of the package, Macs Adventure is moving our bags every day. I dropped the bags in the lobby before 9 am. I was surprised to see at least ten other Macs Adventure bsgs.

Tom, Anna-Marie, Sharon and I met just before 10 am and started off. We made a lunch break about 1 pm at the Lemington Deli. We got to the Keelman Lodge about 2:45 pm. For the next few nights, we are changing hotels every day. I was pleasantly surprised to find our bags were already there.

We covered 7.5 miles in three hours and twenty-two minutes. Our pace was slower than the first day at 26:50.


After we got settled in the room, Sharon, Tom and I wandered down and had a beer at the brew pub connected to the Lodge. They have an on-site micro-brewery!


We finished the day with dinner at the lodge. Sharon had Sea Bass, while I had Bolognese Tagliatelle. After dinner, we all crashed early. Tomorriw is a 15.7 miles day!

2023 England and Scotland - Day #6 - To Newcastle Upon Tyne

Tom, Anna-Marie, Sharon and I had breakfast at the 23 St. Mary's Guest House Bed and Breakfast. I had pancakes, while Sharon had an omelet.

After I dragged the bags down four flights of stairs, we took an Uber to the train station. The four of us caught a 10:30 am train from York to Newcastle Upon Tyne. It was an easy uneventful trip. The wireless was actually better than the nicer train on the trip from London to York.

In Newcastle, we pulled the luggage to the hotel; it was right around the corner from the train station. We are staying one night at the Indigo Hotel. The four of us dropped all of our bags.

We caught an Uber to the Roman Fort Segedunum. We had a little bit of a kerfuffle trying to find somewhere to eat lunch; we should have eaten around the hotel. We ended up at Sizzling Pubs on High Street near the Fort (burger and a wrap).


Afer exploring the museum and fort grounds, we hiked Hardian's Wall Way back to the hotel. We covered about 5.8 miles in two hours and twenty-four minutes. We screwed up a little and weren't carrying enough water and other supplies. We didn't make it back to the hotel until after 5:30 pm.



We finished the night with dinner at My Delhi. Putting her super power to good use, Sharon found a very nice restaurant. Tom had wanted Indian food. Sharon had the Railway Station Lamb Curry, while I had South Indian Fish Curry. We added Dum Pulao Rice, Plain Naan and a Indian Salad.

Another Hadrian's Wall Training Hike

With our trip to England and Scotland looming in a week and a half, Sharon and I did a long training hike for Hadrian's Wall with the Larkins and the Gainsleys. The Gainsleys came to our house and the four of us traveled to Hidden Falls Regional Park. We met the Larkins there.

We ended up covering almost nine miles in three hours and fifty minutes of moving time. Trying to get an early start, it was still 2 pm by the time we finished. With temperatures rising in the high 80s, it got warm.



After the hike, we took a dip in our community pool with the Gainsleys. The four of us finished the day with dinner at Rey Azteca.

Larkins plus Training Hike plus Travel Fair and more

Saturday morning, we headed to Folsom. We dropped a car on Parkshore Drive and Larkin picked us up. We headed to their new house. The Larkins moved to Folsom last November.

After getting a chance to tour the new house, the four of us hiked back to Parkshore Drive along the Willow Creek Trail. I was very impressed with the trail; it didn't feel like you were in the middle of Folsom. We hiked 4.7 miles in just over an hour and a half.



We had dropped the car at the location for the Hands On Travel Vendor Travel Fair. The Larkins introduced us to Shawna Copeland and we have used her for a couple of trips. Although we didn't coordinate with them, the Gainsleys also showed up to the travel fair. Wandering through the fair, I got a couple of ideas for future trips!

From there, Sharon and I headed to Green Acres. We bought a load of plants. We spent the rest of day working on the back deck. We planted the plants, put down a new rug, dragged the summer pillows back from the storage shed and hung some lights along the deck railing. We are working to get the front and back of the house cleaned up for next weekend.

Another Hadrian's Wall Training Hike

Early Saturday morning, Sharon and I hiked from William Pond towards Sunrise Avenue along the American River. Like last weekend, except for a couple of short sections, we were never on the bike trail. We hike 6.5 miles in about two hours and fifteen minutes.

Our average pace was 20:49 per mile. With Sharon wanting to get back and see her favorite play, Brooks Koepka, playing in the Masters third round, we actually did a sub-twenty minute mile on the way back to the car.